International Media Views on the EU-US Tariff Agreement: "Europeans Have Surrendered"
According to the agreement reached by US President Trump and European Commission President von der Leyen on Sunday, the majority of products exported from the EU to the US will now be subject to a 15% tariff. Although the risk of a trade war between the EU and the US has temporarily been alleviated, most German and international media have criticized this agreement.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung strongly criticized the EU-US tariff agreement, calling Europe "a victim of exploitation and humiliation." The commentary stated, "This agreement is a bad one for Europe. Not only did Trump humiliate and extort the EU in the tariff dispute, but he ultimately achieved his goal. The US president acted recklessly, now imposing a 15% tariff on EU goods. And Europe just accepted it passively."
The commentary states that the EU appears weak before Trump and eventually faces the consequences. The Süddeutsche Zeitung concluded its commentary with: "It is certain that under Trump, the US has left behind a global free trade based on rules. Washington now only recognizes the logic of strength. According to this logic, the EU now has to buy more liquefied natural gas and military equipment from the US. As Trump said in Scotland: the EU must pay to redeem itself and avoid higher tariffs. This alone is enough to understand the behavior of this US president."
Der Spiegel: "Europeans Have Surrendered to Trump"
Der Spiegel wrote: "After weeks of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached, which is certainly better than a trade war. However, the agreement remains a product of European surrender. In order to maintain peace, Europeans have completely given up the values and principles they once vowed to defend. The EU agreed to a 15% tariff on European products by the US, while American products can enter Europe duty-free. This is a one-sided favor to the US and a mockery of international trade rules."
Der Spiegel concluded: "The EU must significantly reduce the bureaucratic red tape that paralyzes everything, strive for more investment and innovation, and build a capital market capable of competing with the US. In addition, the EU should strengthen trade relations with countries also excluded from the US market by Trump. In today's world dominated by Sino-US rivalry, there is still space for an economic 'non-alignment movement,' and Europe can play a leading role in it."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "The EU Is Bowing and Lowering Itself"
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote: "The meeting held on Sunday in Turnberry, Scotland, with Trump was crucial for the EU, but the self-degradation of the European Commission President von der Leyen was extremely uncomfortable: being obsequious and trying to please Trump, who is a 'tough and fair dealmaker,' and tolerating his arrogant attitude. This clearly was a negotiation strategy aimed at ensuring the agreement does not collapse."
The commentary stated, "Between two evils, this agreement can only be called a 'huge success' compared to the worst outcome. Compared to Trump's plan in April to impose a 20% basic tariff on most EU goods, 15% is much better. But compared to the situation before the tariff dispute, the 15% tariff is undoubtedly a severe deterioration for European exporters. For both the EU and Germany, this is a bitter result."
The Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung wrote: "Many important details of the US-EU trade agreement have not yet been finalized, but the overall framework is clear: it is a 'deal' that favors one side. The US will impose a 15% tariff on goods from Europe. This is exactly the reflection of the current power balance between the US and Europe: the US depends far less on Europe than Europe depends on the US. The US has excellent companies, a population of over 340 million, and a vast domestic market, so compared to many European countries, the US is not very dependent on international trade."
"A Bitter Deal"
The Dutch Telegraaf wrote: "There is joy mixed with bitterness: the US will impose a 15% tariff on EU products. Before Trump returned to the White House, the tariff on EU exports to the US was even below 5%. Brussels did not take corresponding countermeasures, as Trump had indeed frightened European countries quite a bit. This 'chief dealmaker' had threatened that if an agreement was not reached by August 1st, the US would impose a 30% tariff on EU products. Last week, most EU countries had already given the green light to the 15% tariff. For European politicians, this result is much better than allowing the talks to collapse."
The Irish Times wrote: "The EU-US trade agreement also includes commitments from the EU to purchase US energy and military equipment. Trump called this agreement a victory. Indeed, he has largely achieved what he wanted. The EU is in a defensive position, perhaps hoping to exchange this for the US remaining in NATO and continuing to support Ukraine. Europeans are facing a US president who firmly adheres to a hardline tariff policy, driven by economic nationalism and to fill the US treasury."
The biggest benefit of this framework agreement for the EU, especially Ireland, is that it avoids the risk of a trade war between the EU and the US, as the consequences of such a war are unpredictable and extremely dangerous."
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839034049984512/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.